Uses of Spatial Audio in Sonar

Underwater submarine warfare has imposed an increased threat in present-day military operations. The Canadian Department of National Defence and the defence forces in allied nations are presently investigating commercial off-the-shelf technology for enhancing the presentation of sonar data in the auditory modality in order to improve operator efficiency. One identified technology is three-dimensional (3-D) audio. A 3-D sound gives the listener the perception of the sound emanating outside of his/her head at a particular point in space even though the signal is presented over headphones. The use of 3-D audio as opposed to conventional aural presentation of sonar data is expected to result in improved operator detection and classification of enemy targets. Some recommendations and their implications are discussed in this report.